Lubricator



June 23, 1942. P. HICKS 2,287,760

LUBRICATOR Filed June 22, 1959 z EXHAUST 10 5 Rssmvom GREAs: 17'CONTAINER I Z3 za ZZ summv am I M6: O/ior 45 r I 4a INVENTOR Rw/m/r K.Mars.

BY 5% $5M ATTORNEYS Patented June 23, 1942 i I UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE LUBRICATOR Patrick K. Hicks, Columbus, Ohio Application June 22,1939, Serial No. 280,587

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a lubricator and more particularly to alubricator adapted to supply lubricant under pressure to fittings of thetype commonly used on automobiles, locomotives and other machines whichhave wearing surfaces which are to be supplied with lubricantperiodically. The invention is particularly adapted to supply greaseunder pressure to fittings of the type known as Alemite fittings.

It is my object to devise an improved lubricating device adapted toforce lubricant into bearings to be lubricated by means of a fluid suchas air under pressure which is not allowed to comingle with thelubricant being supplied to the fittings.

It is another object to provide lubricating mechanism which insures athorough application of grease to the parts in the least possible timeand with as heavy a grease as can be used.

It is another object to provide such a lubricating mechanism which isoperated by air pressure and which is capable of being quickly andeasily connected to any source of pair pressure of the desired pressureand which is particularly adapted to lubricate those fittings Wheregreat force is needed to secure a positive lubrication.

It is another object to provide a lubricating device of the foregoingtype which is adapted to supply a much greater amount of lubricant withone manipulation than hand lubricating pumps heretofore employed. Whenemploying the device described herein, the operator need press on theair valve only once in order to completely lubricate parts which with ahand grease pump would require at least five manipulations of the handpump in order to supply an equivalent amount of grease. Moreover, thedevice described herein will lubricate fittings which it would beimpossible to lubricate with a hand grease pump.

It is another object to provide in a device of the foregoing type acontrol valve which is in the form of a handle easily grasped by theoperator and which may optionally be connected to the grease gun byflexible air conduit so that the operator may grasp the control valve inone hand and operate it with the same hand whereby to secure the desiredaction of the grease gun of this invention. Alternatively, the controlvalve may be mounted as a handle on the top of the pressure gun where itserves as a convenient handle for the pressure gun as well as a controlvalve for the same.

Still another object is to provide a lubricating form of a cylinder witha tightly fitting plunger or piston therein which is adapted uponretraction to draw a charge of lubricant into the chambar and upon beingpushed into the chamber, to expel such a lubricant charge under highpressure to the fitting being lubricated, this plunger being retractedby spring pressure, and being pushed inwardly by air pressure actingupon a second piston of relatively large diameter.

Other objects will more fully hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a front perspective view of one form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the grease gun and check valves ofFigure l.

Figure 3 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a modified form ofair control valve which is adapted to be grasped and operated by onehand and which is connected to the grease gun by a flexible conduit.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the downwardly projecting end of thecontrol valve shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective of a form of dolly or wagon which may beemployed for transporting the lubricator of the present invention and ifdesired, air compression mechanism, around the automobile or locomotivelubricating station where the device of this invention i to be employed.

Referring to the drawing in detail and particularly to the embodimentshown in Figures 1 and 2, reference numeral l designates an airreservoir which is connectedto the lubricating device of this inventionby the flexible conduit 2 which supplies air under pressure to thehandle and control valvev designated generally as 3. It is preferred tohave the air so supplied at an average pressure of at least 120 poundsper square inch. The air under pressure is transmitted through thecontrol valve 3 by means of conduits 4 and 5 which are adapted to beinterconnected by meansof conduit 8 which is disposed in the end ofslidable valve rod 1. Rod 1 is normally pressed into the position shownin Figure 2 by spring 8 which is disposed between two downwardlyprojecting portions 9 and H] of handle 3. Spring 8 bears against fixedshoulder bushing II and its opposite end presses against a collar l2which is. fixedly attached to rod 1 so as to be slidable therewith andwhich acts as a stop for limiting the leftward movement of rod 1 to theposition shown in Figure 2. Rod 1- is device having a charge-receivingchamber in the formed with a non-circularcross-section or with a keyedslot so as to prevent it from rotating in bushings H and I3 whereby itis maintained in the proper operating position. Rod 1 is adapted to bemoved to the right by means of two-part operating lever M which ispivoted to handl 3 at I5 and which when pulled upwardly, pulls two-partlever it; with roller I! which is attached thereto to the right. Rollerll engages the outer end l8 of rod 7 and, therefore, when handle i4 ispulled upwardly, rod 1 is pushed to the right against the resistance ofspring 8 until slot 6 is in alignment with conduits 4 and 5. Roller I!operates as a stop to limit rightward movement of rod 1 by limitingrightward movement of lever l6.

Handle and valve 3 is attached to the pressure gun designated generallyas 19 at 29. Pressure gun 19 comprises an air cylinder 2| and alubricant cylinder 22 disposed therebelow In air pressure cylinder 2!,there is disposed a piston 23 which is provided with suitable sealingmeans such as leather ring 24-. The upper portion of cylinder 2 l isclosed by means of a cylinder head 25, into which handle 3 isscrew-threaded in such manner as to effect air tight engagement and insuch manner as to transmit air pressure between conduit 5 and betweenchamber 26 formed above piston 23. Piston 23' is urged upwardly towardscylinder head by spring 2? which bears against a shoulder plate 28 whichis disposed below cylinder 2| and which is kept from moving away fromcylinder 2| by tie rods 29.

In lubricant charge receiving cylinder 22, there is disposed a tightlyfitting piston 39 which is a prolongation of rod 3! which is integralwith piston 23 so that movement of piston 23 is transmitted to lubricantpiston or plunger 38. Lubricant charge receiving cylinder 22 isimmovably attached to thrust plate 28 by means of screwthreads 32 andthe tight sealing of the slidable rod 31 with respect to the upper endof cylinder 22 is secured by means of packing 33 which is compressed bygland nut 34 and crowding ring 35. In order to further insure the tightsealing of the end of piston 36 with respect to cylinder 22, a pistonring 25 is provided adjacent the lower end of piston 38. If desired,more than one piston ring may be employed. Ring 35 is slotted in theusual manner so as to insure a fluid-tight seal.

Disposed below charge receiving chamber 22 is a T 31 which is in fluidconnection with the chamber 39 formed in cylinder 22' b means of anipple 38. T 37 is adapted to be connected either to grease container ortoflexible conduit 40, depending upon the motion of pistons 23 and 32 intheir respective cylinders. Disposed between T 31 and grease container45 is a suction check valve 4i which is adapted to allow grease to flowfrom grease container 25 into T 31 but to prevent flow of grease orfluid from T 31 in the opposite direction. Disposed between T 31 andconduit 40 is a check Valve 42 which is adapted to allow grease underpressure to flow from T 31 into conduit 40 but which is adapted to closewhenever suction is applied to T 37 so as to prevent the passage ofeither grease or air from conduit 40 back into 3?. Conduit 40 isattached in the usual manner at its outer end (not shown) to the fittingwhich is to be lubricated.

The strength of spring 21 is determined by the pair pressure which isavailable, being greater, the greater the air pressure available. Ifdesired, suitable adjusting means for adjusting the pressure with whichspring 21 bears against pis.

ton 23 may be provided so that the operator may adjust the compressiveaction of spring 21 in accordance with the air pressure available.

Disposed in rod 1 is a vertical slot 43 which is connected to theatmosphere by a slot 44 running lengthwise of rod 1. Slot 43 is normallyin engagement with conduit 5 so that chamber 26 is normally inconnection with the atmosphere. Thus, if lever 14 has been raised so asto supply air pressure through slot 6 to chamber 26 and lever I4 isreleased, the air pressure built up in chamber 22 is discharged throughslots 43 and 44 to the atmosphere as a result of the pressure of spring2'! against piston 23.

In operation, conduit 40 is connected to the fitting to be lubricated.Lever I4 is then raised, causing air pressure to be transmitted from airreservoir l into chamber 25 and causing piston 23 to move downwardlyagainst the pressure of spring 21. Piston 3% is simultaneously moveddownwardly, causing check valve 41 to close and causing the air inchamber 39 to pass outwardly through check valve 42 into conduit 45. Theoperator then releases lever l4, whereupon air chamber 25 is connectedto the atmosphere and its pressure is discharged by means of spring 21pressing piston 23 upwardly. Piston 39 simultaneously moves upwardly andcauses a suction in chamber 39 and in T 3'! which suction causes checkValve M to open and check valve 42 to close. This suction is transmittedto grease container 45 and draws a supply of grease through valve 4|into T 31 and into lubricant receiving chamber 39. The device is nowadapted to supply lubricant to conduit 46 under pressure. In order to dothis, the operator again moves lever 44 upwardly, thus building up airpressure in chamber 26 and causing pistons 23 and 3G to move downwardly,the pressure closing valve 4! and opening valve 42, thereby forcing thegrease into codnuit 40 under very high pressure. Upon releasing lever M,the air accumulated inv chamber 25 travels out to the atmosphere andspring 21 again operates pistons 23 and 38 so as to draw a fresh chargeof lubricant from grease supply 45 into chamber 39 and T 31.

In the modified form shown in Figures 3 and 4, the control valve isseparated from the pressure gun by a conduit 46 which may be of anydesired length so as to allow the operator to hold it in the hand at aconsiderable distance from the pressure gun. The source of air pressureis connected to the body portion 41 of the control valve at 48 and istransmitted through the valve by means of conduits 4 and 5 which areadapted to be inter-connected by slot 6 provided in slidable rod 1 whichprojects upwardly from body portion 4'! so as to be readily operable bythe thumb of the hand holding the control valve. As before, rod 1 isnormally spring pressed upwardly by a spring 8 acting against thewasherlike protuberance 53 fixedly carried on the middle portion of rod1 so that rod 1' is normally in the position shown in Figure 3, in whichthe air chamber 26 of pressure gun I9 is in free communication with theatmosphere through slots 43 and 44, slot 44 extending as before to theend of rod 1. Rod 1 is adapted to be pressed downwardly so as to connectconduit 4 with conduit 5 through slot 6. Rod T is provided at its lowerportion with a square end 49 which engages a square hole 5| in the endof spring support 50 so as to prevent rod 1 from turning and therebypreventing proper operation. The length of the stroke of rod 1 in eitherdirection is determined by the length of the square section 49 and thelocation of the washer-like protuberance 53 on the rod 1.

By the use of an air-actuated piston of relatively large area operatinga lubricant-expelling piston of relatively very small area, the pressureon the lubricant may be made extremely high, the air pressure beingmultiplied enormously. For example, employing an air-operated piston twoinches in diameter and a lubricantexpelling piston one-fourth of an inchin diameter, with an air pressure of 120 lbs. per square inch, thelubricant will be expelled under a pressure of 7680 lbs. per squareinch. Other air pressures and proportions may obviously be used, thoseset forth being merely illustrative of the principle. Thus low-cost airunder relatively low pressure is employed to lubricant fittings underextremely high pressure.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the pressure gun l9may be located anywhere in the line between grease container 45 and thefitting to be lubricated. The connection between suction check valve andgrease supply 45 may be a flexible conduit similar to conduit 40 and ofany desired length, T 31 and oheck'valves ,4! and 42 being disposable atany point, thus making for greater flexibility and convenience inassembly and in use.

If desired, a two wheeled dolly or wagon 52 may be provided forsupporting and transporting the grease container and pressure gun, and,if desired, suitable air compressing means so that the same may bereadily moved about the lubricatingstation.

It will be seen from the foregoing, that I have devised a highly usefulmechanism for th application of grease under high positive pressure tofittings to be lubricated. The device is very convenient to use and itsuse results in a better lubrii cation of the automobile, locomotive orlike. Since a source of air pressure is commonly available at automobilelubricating stations, the device is particularly applicable to use insuch stations. The device may also be used for the lubrication oflocomotives, in which case it may be connected to the air reservoir onthe locomotive.

It is to be understood that I intend to comprehend as within myinvention such modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varyingconditions and uses.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is: V,

1. A lubricating device comprising means forming a lubricant receivingchamber, a plunger reciprocable therein, an air cylinder fixedlyattached to said chamber-forming means, a piston reciprocable thereinand fixedly connected to said plunger, a manually operable control valvehaving a substantially U-shaped body to provide a carrying handle forthe device, means mounting said valve upon said cylinder having acylinderconnecting conduit therein, said handle having a coredpassageway providing an inlet, passage for admitting air under pressureand conducting said air through said handle into saidcylinder-connecting conduit, a manually reciprocable rod journaledtransversely of and within the legs of the U-shaped handle forintersecting said passagevvay, said rod having a bore therein forinterconnecting the intersected portions of said passageway when saidrod is in one position, and having another bore therein adapted toconnect said cylinder-connecting conduit to the atmosphere when saidrodis in another position, said rod being adapted to seal off said inletpassageway when said rod is in said other position.

2. A lubricating device comprising means, forming a lubricant receivingchamber, a plunger reciprocable therein, an air cylinder fixedlyattached to said chamber-forming means, a piston reciprocable thereinand fixedly connected to said plunger, a manually operable control valvehaving a substantially U-shaped body to provide a carrying handle forthe device, means mounting said valve upon said cylinder having acylinder-connecting conduit therein, said handle having a coredpassageway providing an inlet passage for admitting air under pressureand conducting said air through said handle into said cylinderconnecting conduit, a manually reciprocable rod journaled transverselyof and within the legs of the U-shaped handle and adapted to intersectsaid passageway, said rod having a bore therein adapted to interconnectthe intersected portions of said passageway when said rod is in oneposition and having another bore therein adapted to connect saidcylinder connecting conduit to the atmosphere when said rod is inanother position, said rod being adapted to seal off said inletpassageway when said rod is in said other position, and lever meanspivotally mounted on said handle to manually actuate said rod.

3. A lubricating device comprising means forming a lubricant receivingchamber, a plunger reciprocable therein, an air cylinder fixedlyattached to said chamber-forming means, a piston reciprocable thereinand fixedly connected to said plunger, a manually operable control valvehaving a body portion shaped in a manner to provide a carrying handlefor the device, means mounting said valve upon said cylinder having acylinder-connecting conduit therein, said handle having a coredpassageway providing an inlet passage for admitting air under pressureand conducting said air through said handle into said cylinderconnecting conduit, a manually reciprocable rod journaled within thebody of the handle and adapted to intersect said passageway, said rodhaving a bore therein adapted to interconnect the intersected portionsof said passageway when said rod is in one position and having anotherbore therein adapted to connect said cylinder connecting conduit to theatmosphere when said rod is in another position, said rod being adaptedto seal ofi said inlet passageway when said rod is in said otherposition.

, PATRICKK. HICKS.

